1. Field
The present invention relates generally to methods and systems for water rides or amusement attractions, such as tracking systems and/or visual or interactive experiences for a rider as they navigate through the ride or attraction. More particularly, certain features of the present invention relate to waterslide attractions capable of incorporating skill or agility of a user riding thereon and modifying features of the waterslide attraction in response thereto. Other features of the present invention relate to encouragement of active participation while riding on a waterslide and methods and systems for an illuminated waterslide that visually responds to a rider's input while the rider rides on the waterslide.
2. Description of the Related Art
Waterslide attractions typically provide riders with a thrilling experience of speed and lateral force upon the body as the riders slide on the attraction. A stream of water is commonly flowed along a chute, flume, or tube from an entrance location of higher elevation to an exit location of lower elevation. A rider slides along the flume due to the stream of water, either with or without a ride vehicle, and experiences the twists, turns, and drops predetermined by the design and setup of the flume. While such attractions provide an initial rush of excitement, repeated riding of the attraction can have diminished appeal as riders become accustomed to the layout of the attraction and their merely passive interaction along its length.
Some concepts or designs have attempted to increase the excitement of a waterslide attraction even after multiple riding attempts. One such concept allowed riders to choose among a collection of preset themes prior to riding on an attraction, the lighting and sound effects changing as the rider traveled down the slide according to the theme chosen by the rider. Depending on the number of selectable themes, riders could have a different experience in subsequent ride attempts. Another concept involved adding elements of competition between two riders via a pair of parallel water slide riding surfaces. These riders could compete with one another on these riding surfaces while non-ride participants could interact with the ride to aid or hinder the rider movement from platforms positioned adjacent to the riding surfaces. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,527,646 and 6,186,902 to Briggs, each incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. While these designs may have extended rider excitement more so than conventional water slides without such features, they may not have the effect of encouraging multiple attempts at riding the water attraction, for example, since riders only passively engage with the waterslide and its features.
Thus, an improved waterslide that incorporates other dynamic experiences, such as skill, reflexes, or agility of the rider themselves while navigating the water slide is desired. The improved waterslide would ideally be capable of tracking user performance, either through the use of a ride vehicle or without, and generate an indication of user performance for encouraging multiple attempts at the waterslide to garner improved performance ratings. The improved waterslide would desirably promote competition between riders, even when such riders are not riding on the waterslide at substantially the same time. Moreover, the improved waterslide would desirably allow riders to gauge or analyze their own performance for improving subsequent runs down the waterslide attraction.